The First Mosque in China

The Great Mosque of Guangzhou, aslo known also as Huaisheng Mosque or also known as the Guangta Mosque (Light Tower Mosque), is considered to be the earliest surviving mosque in China. It also has the earliest freestanding minaret in China. Some sources claim that it was built by the uncle of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Saad bin Abi Waqas.

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Just to inform that pictures with the Arabic inscription Raudhah Abi Waqqas and the red gateway are not of the Huaisheng Mosque, but could be found at the tomb-complex purpotedly belonging to Sayyidina ABi Waqqas r.a. The tomb-complex lies about 20 minutes fast-walk away from Huaisheng Mosque, to the north part of the city, close to where Canton Fair is located, and next door to the Orchid Garden.

The first mosque is China was constructed many many year back and it was also the first mosque in Asean countries. Islam was in China earlier than any other asean countries. There there are a lot of things to learn.

Well, I’ve done detailed research on the topic, get it published, first in the English newspapers and magazines, then translated and get it published in Daily Jang (Urdu), long long ago. I wish I could post it online, soon. Now, 1. Hazrat Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqas was not the Uncle (maternal), but, the son of maternal uncle of our great Prophet; however, he used to call him, Uncle, as per local tradition. Abi Waqas Maalik bin Wuhaib, his father, was cousin (son of paternal uncle) of Hazrat Amena, the respected mother of our great Holy Prophet. Hazrat Sa’d went there to preach Islam, in the period of Hazrat Usman/Uthman Ibn Affan’s caliphate, yet he died in 55AH, at Aqiq, near Madinah and was buried over there.

salam alaikoum brothers and sisters in islam.l have see one time in tv about muslims childrens in one school that they forbid them to pray and to practise their religion .they have to wait until to back to their home in week end that they can read coran or to pray .still there same? l think it was childrens from villages who was so poor.it have hurt me so much and l was so sad for that.is it difficult to practise islam there in china?

I am Othman from Somalia. I have been in Guangzhou and heard that sa’ad Ibn abi waqas had been there. Even though Sa’ad was a traveler and strong military leader, I tried to verify that information by going to liberary and checking History of Sahabah. I ultimately found that Sa’ad was burried in Madina..There is a possibity that some his close relatives arrived in Guangzhou at very early period of Islamic history.
Salama alaikum

The name is Rauzah Abi Waqas R.A, it is of Father of Saad Bin Abi Waqas R.A . It is believed that after the hirat of Habsha some 4 sahabah travelled towards china. Among those there was Saad Ibn Abi Waqas R.A and his father Abi Waqas R.A..

Also would like to know there is one more sahabahs resting place in China.

About the Islam in China Project

Islam in China is a web resource on all about Chinese Muslims, Islam in China and the intersection between these two. The aim of our project is to explore the culture, history and traditions of Chinese Muslims as well as the interaction of the Chinese Civilization withe the Muslim world and the cultural exchanges between the two civilizations.